(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dual connecting interface memory card, and more particularly to a flash memory card that integrates a 4-pin USB (Universal Serial Bus) connecting terminal structure into an existing MMC (Multi Media Card) standard flash memory card, thereby providing two standard connecting interfaces to access data stored in the memory card.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The characteristics of flash memory include being able to retain the data stored therein when the power supply to the flash memory is disconnected, and the non-requirement for a motor to actuate it. Such characteristics have made flash memory find favor with related electrical appliance industries. However, in order to accommodate the demand for portability of stored data, many operators have developed information and electrical appliances with a flash memory card embedded inside, including such products as: mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistant), digital cameras, MP3 music players, and so on. Thus, the extensive and rapid rise in use of flash memory embedded in information products can be seen in order to meet the growing demand for data access.
However, competition and division of interests in related industries have resulted in manufacturers one after another developing their own flash memory card each conforming to different standards, including a Compact-Flash Card, abbreviated to CF card, a Secure-Digital Card, abbreviated to SD card, a Memory-Stick Card abbreviated to MS card, a Smart-Media Card, abbreviated to SM card, a XD Picture Card abbreviated to XD card, a Multi Media Card abbreviated to MMC card, and a Smart Media Card, abbreviated to SM card. The aforementioned memory card standards are those currently found on the market.
External form, thickness, width, length and the connecting terminals are used to distinguish the different memory card standards. However, it can also be said that the number of connecting terminal pins of the aforementioned existing memory cards is somewhat convoluted. Moreover, the different memory cards are not mutually compatible, for instance, the CF card has 50 pins, the SD card has 9 pins, the MS card has 10 pins, the MMC card has 7 pins, the SM card has 22 pins, and so on. Furthermore, each memory card standard requires a specific card reader device to read the data stored therein. Although currently there are multi-card readers able to read memory cards conforming to different standards, however, the multi-card reader device must accurately calculate the position of the connecting terminal pins of various different memory card standards in order to differentiate the different memory cards. Hence, the more connecting terminal pins there are, the greater the impact on manufacturing costs and restraint on research and development.
Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has integrated the common and widespread USB standard connecting interface into an existing MMC standard memory card with the objective to provide a flash memory card having two connecting interfaces.